Fans of King Crimson circa the Starless and Bible Black and Larks’ Tongues in Aspic era might want to seek out this third release from the Minneapolis trio Hardcore Crayons. The main difference between this album and the aforementioned Crimson classics is that Hardcore Crayons’ effort is all instrumental. But in this album’s 10 tracks one can hear echoes of Bill Bruford in Jake Kirkman’s dynamic percussion work, and Dan Chizek’s guitar sounds are reminiscent of Robert Fripp’s Frippertronics. The album’s centerpiece is a five-track suite called “Completely Relevant,” and the album’s final track asks the musical question “Was That Cool?” I would answer that with a big “yes!” From this studio effort, I reckon this band must be a powerhouse live.
